LOS ANGELES.–Democrats, the press and the White House were euphoric yesterday as Trump was convicted in his Manhattan hush money trial on all charges. Democrat hoped for any advantage 81-year-old President Joe Biden gets from Trump’s conviction, now calling the 77-year-old ex-president a convicted felon. Whether Trump wins an appeal or not, he goes into the 2024 presidential race a convicted felon the first time in U.S. history. Trump’s backers aren’t too concerned about the verdict but that doesn’t mean that independent voters don’t have reservations about casting a vote for a convicted felon. All indications point to Biden getting mileage out of Trump’s conviction on all 34 counts. Trump was convicted of improperly recording the transaction as a legal expense, when District Attorney proved that Trump tried to cover-up an election law violation.
Jurors heard from many witnesses, including 57-year-old disbarred former Atty. Michael Cohen and 45-year-old porn star Stormy Daniels, both confirmed that Trump paid off Daniels to buy her silence before the 2016 presidential election. Jurors apparently didn’t question the eight-year-old case, stemming from an alleged one-night stand in 2006, ten years before Trump ran for president. While it’s true Bragg made a case to the jury that Trump approved the payment to Stormy Daniels in 2016, it’s also true that Trump never admitted to having an affair. Jurors didn’t believe Trump’s lead defense Atty. Todd Blanche that Cohen, not Trump, authorized the payment to Daniels. Jurors saw firsthand evidence that nothing passed by Trump without his authorization and approval. Trump’s defense tactic was to deny that he did anything wrong in paying off Daniels.
Trump’s Atty. Todd Blanche wanted jurors to believe that Cohen acted on his own when he paid Stormy Daniels $130,000 for her non-disclosure agreement. Had Blanche argued that whatever Trump paid Cohen, it was part of normal legal expenses, it would have made more sense, more credibility. Blanche should have admitted to the jury that Trump authorized payment because he followed his attorney’s advice. Not that he didn’t know what Cohen was doing but he left it to his “fixer” to handle all legal matters. Had Blanche made that argument, it wouldn’t appear that he was denying any of Trump’s culpability in the payment. Jurors might have accepted that Trump leaned on Cohen for legal advice which included paying off Stormy Daniels. Blanche should have put the payment into context that Trump, as a wealth celebrity, was subject of extortion and blackmail plots.
Trump now goes into the 2024 race with 34 felonies, something District Atty. Alvin Bragg said was just part of his job. Jurors never heard that Bragg ran his 2021 campaign for DA on going after Trump, when his predecessor Cyrus Vance Jr. said there was insufficient evidence. Bragg upgraded all of Trump’s charges from misdemeanors to felonies and it worked. Democrats, the press and White House wasted no time boasting about the verdicts, hoping it would dampen support for Trump in 2024. Whether the conviction helps or hurts Trump, it’s questionable whether Trump’ attorney took the right tact with the jury. Denying that Trump authorized the payment to Stormy Daniels was a big mistake. When it came to former Playboy Centerfold Karen McDougal, there was nothing wrong with paying someone under a “catch-and-kill” policy to never publishing the story.
Blanche erred by arguing to the jury that Cohen went rogue on Trump paying off Stormy Daniels, something that made zero sense. What kind of legal strategy throws common sense and credibility to the wind, expecting the jury to believe a farfetched story. Blanche couldn’t sell the jury on the idea that Cohen acted independently when he paid of Stormy Daniels. What kind of legal theory is that to insult the jury’s intelligence? Watching Democrats, the press and even Biden gloat over Trump’s conviction, shows the brutal partisan nature of the 2024 race. Biden actually cracked smug smile when asked about Trump conviction on all 34 counts. Biden said Trump was entitled to appeal the verdict, like any other citizen but rejected the idea that a Democrat partisan jury and judge convicted Trump on ordinary bookkeeping charges usually charged as misdemeanors.
Biden was asked today whether or not Trump’s conviction would impact the 2024 presidential race. “Do you think a conviction will have an impact on the campaign,” a reporter asked Biden. Biden said nothing but couldn’t contain his ear-to-ear grin. “Honestly, I rarely use the word evil to describe another human being . . . but,” said ESPN’s Sage Steele. sharing her reaction to Biden’s grin. “Joe Biden is a clear and present threat to democracy,” said 39-year-old Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), also reacting to Biden’s delight over Trump’s conviction. Trump’s campaign will have to do a good job selling how a Democrat partisan judge-and-jury got what it wanted with Trump. “He’s NOT even trying to hide it anymore . . . Biden’s grin is all American voters need to see,” said Rep. Wesley Hunte (R-Tx.). Trump may still get the last laugh on Election Day but only time will tell.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
